Maria Skłodowska-Curie, to be exact. She moved to France and married there, but never rejected her Polish origins. In fact she supported Polish independence, founded a scientific institute in Warsaw and named one of the elements she discovered after Poland.
While she was born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, she studied in Paris and Sorbonne. She was denied higher education in Poland because she was a woman. Later, University of Kraków also rejected her, because she was a woman.
It's not nice, but I think it's OK to call her a French scientist. Poland clearly didn't want her. It is an old tradition that best polish scientists, athletes and inventors go abroad. They're not valued in the country.
So following that reasoning, a chinese scientist who made his/her PhD and research work in the USA should be called "an american researcher"? I think you can understand that that is not only not nice, but just wrong. If you think that not respecting her because she was a woman was a terrible thing (I agree), then we should not do the same, and as a sign of respect, at least, we should call her by her real name
She was technically Polish, but she didn't owe much to Poland. Especially not her successes in science. That's what I mean. For me it's ethically wrong to boast about Maria Skłodowska-Curie as a Polish scientist. And it's not just "not respecting" ! It's likely that she wouldn't achieve anything if she chose to stay in Poland. She was denied higher education !
As I wrote before, Poland didn't exist at the time -- it was occupied by Russians trying hard to wipe or nationality for good, also by attenuating Polish science and culture. Thus many Poles have fled for freedom of not being oppressed for being Polish.
About owning anything; she left Poland being 24, so she get all the basics and conducted here first research in Poland thanks to underground structures -- if born in France, she might end up as a housewife.
Anyway, the only thing that matters is that she always thought of herself as a Pole and done much to prove it.
Please note that we were mostly under Russian or German occupation during the last 200 years, so it is not our fault many bright units have been kicked or run abroad. Skłodowska was rejected by Russians, so blame them for intolerance.
She was denied education in Poland occupied by Russians, and Austrians (never tried in Prussian occupied part, IIRC).
What she learnt in Poland she learnt from Polish teachers that taught Poles secretly in homes (because it was forbidden to teach some subjects - not only to woman, but to anyone - for example Polish history).
And she was always supportive of Polish independence, named Polonium after Poland, kept her name after mariage to associate with Poland. Wouldn't happen if she had problems with Poland, don't you think?
I think you project modern problems on historical situation.
Poland was under Russian and German occupation then. Well, your argument is invalid. If you had read the first three paragraphs of the Wikipedia article, you would have known how wrong you are. Marie Skłodowska-Curie has always acknowledged her Polish origins and supported Poland's struggle for independence.
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Maria Skłodowska-Curie, to be exact. She moved to France and married there, but never rejected her Polish origins. In fact she supported Polish independence, founded a scientific institute in Warsaw and named one of the elements she discovered after Poland.
While she was born Maria Salomea Skłodowska, she studied in Paris and Sorbonne. She was denied higher education in Poland because she was a woman. Later, University of Kraków also rejected her, because she was a woman.
It's not nice, but I think it's OK to call her a French scientist. Poland clearly didn't want her. It is an old tradition that best polish scientists, athletes and inventors go abroad. They're not valued in the country.
So following that reasoning, a chinese scientist who made his/her PhD and research work in the USA should be called "an american researcher"? I think you can understand that that is not only not nice, but just wrong. If you think that not respecting her because she was a woman was a terrible thing (I agree), then we should not do the same, and as a sign of respect, at least, we should call her by her real name
She was technically Polish, but she didn't owe much to Poland. Especially not her successes in science. That's what I mean. For me it's ethically wrong to boast about Maria Skłodowska-Curie as a Polish scientist. And it's not just "not respecting" ! It's likely that she wouldn't achieve anything if she chose to stay in Poland. She was denied higher education !
As I wrote before, Poland didn't exist at the time -- it was occupied by Russians trying hard to wipe or nationality for good, also by attenuating Polish science and culture. Thus many Poles have fled for freedom of not being oppressed for being Polish. About owning anything; she left Poland being 24, so she get all the basics and conducted here first research in Poland thanks to underground structures -- if born in France, she might end up as a housewife. Anyway, the only thing that matters is that she always thought of herself as a Pole and done much to prove it.
A person should be called by the name they give you. What did Curie call herself?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marie_Curie_Sk%C5%82odowsk...
a chinese scientist who made his/her PhD and research work in the USA should be called "an american researcher"?
Maybe America is a bad example, since we're all about accepting immigrants as Americans. :)
Please note that we were mostly under Russian or German occupation during the last 200 years, so it is not our fault many bright units have been kicked or run abroad. Skłodowska was rejected by Russians, so blame them for intolerance.
She was denied education in Poland occupied by Russians, and Austrians (never tried in Prussian occupied part, IIRC).
What she learnt in Poland she learnt from Polish teachers that taught Poles secretly in homes (because it was forbidden to teach some subjects - not only to woman, but to anyone - for example Polish history).
And she was always supportive of Polish independence, named Polonium after Poland, kept her name after mariage to associate with Poland. Wouldn't happen if she had problems with Poland, don't you think?
I think you project modern problems on historical situation.
Poland was under Russian and German occupation then. Well, your argument is invalid. If you had read the first three paragraphs of the Wikipedia article, you would have known how wrong you are. Marie Skłodowska-Curie has always acknowledged her Polish origins and supported Poland's struggle for independence.
Exactly, I hate the fact that hardly anyone outside Poland knows that she was Polish.